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Safety nets - programs that invest in poor people and help them enhance their livelihoods and productivity by transferring resources to poor households - have been on the rise in Sub-Saharan Africa. These programs either transfer money directly to vulnerable households, or offer labor-intensive public works jobs such as building rural roads to adults who need temporary employment during the agricultural lean season. World Bank analysis shows that over the past 10 years, 120 cash transfer programs have been rolled out in Africa.